1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal monitor incorporating therein a liquid crystal module that includes a direct backlight, and in particular to a liquid crystal module configuration and an attachment structure for attaching together a liquid crystal module and a liquid crystal monitor member.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display device has been employed in monitors incorporated such as in a thin television receiver or a personal computer. The liquid crystal monitor includes a liquid crystal module incorporating therein a liquid crystal panel and a backlight, and a monitor compartment housing the liquid crystal module. The liquid crystal module is housed within the monitor compartment by attaching the liquid crystal module to a liquid crystal monitor member (hereinafter, referred to simply as a monitor member) and then covering the two combined components with a compartment frame. Two types of backlights are primarily employed as a backlight. That is, one is an edge-lit backlight configured to have a light source such as a fluorescent tube disposed on the side of the backlight and allow light from the light source to be guided to the liquid crystal panel by a light guide plate. The other is a direct backlight configured to have a light source disposed facing the liquid crystal panel. A liquid crystal panel assembled with a direct backlight has a comparatively high brightness compared with a liquid crystal panel assembled with an edge-lit backlight and therefore, the direct backlight is employed in a liquid crystal monitor of a high-resolution television receiver and the like.
Conventionally, there are two types of attachment structures for attaching together a liquid crystal module and a monitor member. That is, one is employed to directly fix a liquid crystal module and a monitor member to each other using a screw through a screw hole provided in the side face of the liquid crystal module (hereinafter, referred to as a side attachment method). The other is employed to directly fix a liquid crystal module and a monitor member to each other using a screw through a screw hole provided in the rear face of the liquid crystal module (hereinafter, referred to as a rear attachment method).
The conventional side attachment method is performed as follows. That is, as indicated in the partial cross sectional view shown in FIG. 1, a liquid crystal panel 3, an intermediate frame 4 mounted to the panel 3, a diffuser 5, a fluorescent tube 6 and a reflector 8 are fixed to a support 14, and an upper frame 2 is mounted to the assembly formed by the aforementioned components, thereby forming a liquid crystal module 13. A monitor member 12 is fixed to the side face of the liquid crystal module 13 by screws and a compartment frame is made to cover the entire assembly. That is, screw holes 107 are provided in left/right sides or upper/lower sides of the upper frame protrusion 15 and the monitor member 12 is fixed to the upper frame 2 through the protrusion 15 by screws 407 to cover the side faces of the liquid crystal module.
Furthermore, the conventional rear attachment method is performed as follows. That is, as indicated in the partial cross sectional view shown in FIG. 2, a liquid crystal panel 3, an intermediate frame 4 mounted to the panel 3, a diffuser 5, a fluorescent tube 6 and a reflector 8 are assembled to form a liquid crystal module. A protrusion 211 protruding toward the outside of the liquid crystal module while avoiding contact between the optical member of a backlight and the distal end of an attachment screw is formed in a lower reflecting face 310 of the reflector 8 of the liquid crystal module, and a screw hole 107 is provided in the protrusion 211 to fix a monitor member 12 with a screw 407 through the screw hole 107 to the reflector 8, and then, a compartment frame 101 is made to cover the outer periphery of the assembly formed by the aforementioned components.
However, in the above-described conventional side attachment method for attachment between a liquid crystal module and a monitor member, the attachment screw 407 needs to have its distal end positioned so as to avoid contact with the optical members of the backlight that is incorporated within the liquid crystal module and accordingly, the compartment frame 101 constituting the circumference of liquid crystal monitor is forced to have a circumference that avoids contact with the side face of the monitor member and the protrusion of the attachment screw. This causes the frame of the liquid crystal monitor to be expanded, unfavorably increasing the size of the circumference of the liquid crystal monitor.
Furthermore, in the conventional side attachment method, if the attachment screw is attached at a location that is displaced from the position shown in FIG. 1 in a direction of the thickness of the liquid crystal module to avoid contact between the optical members of the backlight and the distal end of the attachment screw, the thickness of the liquid crystal module increases and accordingly, the compartment frame covering the liquid crystal module increases its thickness, unfavorably increasing the volume of liquid crystal monitor.
Additionally, the liquid crystal monitor assembled using the above-described rear attachment method is constructed such that a protrusion protruding toward the outside of the liquid crystal module is formed in the reflecting face of the reflector to avoid the optical members of the backlight and the distal end of the attachment screw, and a location at which the attachment screw is attached to the monitor member is secured in the protrusion. This unfavorably increases the thickness of the liquid crystal monitor, as well as the volume thereof.
It should be appreciated that other than the aforementioned attachment methods, i. e., the side attachment method and the rear attachment method, an attachment method is available in which a receiving portion of a liquid crystal module is adapted to attach to an attachment portion of a monitor member and both the receiving portion and the attachment portion are positioned outside the circumference of the liquid crystal module. According to the attachment method, the receiving portion and the attachment portion adapted to attach together a liquid crystal module and a monitor member are positioned to avoid contact with backlight members and the liquid crystal module is fixed to the monitor member through the receiving portion by a screw. Accordingly, a compartment frame needs to have a circumference that avoids contact with individual sets of receiving portion and attachment portion and the frame of liquid crystal monitor becomes wider, unfavorably increasing the size of liquid crystal monitor, as well as the volume thereof.